Cp₂ZrCl₂-DIBAL-H As a Convenient in situ Equivalent to Cp₂ZrHCl

Significance

The Schwartz reagent (Cp₂ZrHCl) is widely used in synthetic organic chemistry as a reducing and hydrometallating agent. Its application, however, is hampered by its relative instability and the lack of in situ methods of preparation, leading to a reagent with the same activity. The described technique offers a simple procedure of the preparation of the Schwartz reagent, which serves as a genuine equivalent to this compound, synthesized by conventional methods. A number of reactions, performed with the diversely treated reagent Cp₂ZrCl₂-DIBAL-H, demonstrated that it can completely substitute expensive and unstable Cp₂ZrHCl.